A golf green is an area of short grass typically bounded by a fringe area. The fringe area is a grassy area wherein the grass is taller than the grass which forms the green. The fringe area is more resistant to ball movement than the green. Somewhere within the green area, a cup is placed. The cup has a diameter larger than the diameter of a golf ball, and the opening of the cup is disposed at ground level. More particularly, a plane parallel to the cup opening typically is parallel to the portion of the green immediately adjacent the cup, and the cup is substantially disposed within the ground.
There are no physical objects, e.g., trees, on the green, however, a green surface typically has slopes and/or a variety of topographies. A golfer, therefore, can "sink a putt", i.e., putt a golf ball in the cup, from any point on a green so long as the golfer properly compensates for the green's topography. Compensating for green topography by proper selection of ball direction and velocity is the challenge facing a golfer in a putting context.
Many people familiar with the sport of golf believe that golf tournaments often are determined by putting on a green. Indeed, a golfer's putting performance usually is critical to winning a golf tournament.
To bring golf tournaments to television viewers, television networks such as the National Broadcasting Company strategically locate cameras throughout a golf course. Around the golf greens, and in order to avoid interfering with fans in stands around the green, cameras typically are placed at an elevation above the green and above the fans.
The imaged topography of a golf green which can be provided by cameras placed high above a green differs significantly from an actual golf green topography seen by a golfer. In most viewing situations, an image created by a camera disposed high above the green shows the golf green as a flat surface. A golf green, however, typically has many subtle variations that affect the roll, i.e., speed and direction, of the putted golf ball. The "flat green" TV image can result from a combination of diffuse lighting from the sun and high camera angles. As a result of the "flat green" TV image, it is almost impossible for a TV viewer to visualize the actual topography of a green and curvature of a putt on the green.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a user interface for a golf green and golf putt modelling system.